I know I’ve said this, like, a quadrillion times. But…
Put a back on it.
Like a red bracelet to a black dress, a piece of furniture can have a second dimension. A subtle addition of interest can be added to that previously ignored piece.
It can be paint in a contrasting color. Printed wallpaper. Textured wallpaper (like seagrass seen above). Painted textured wallpaper. Stamped textured wallpaper. Paintable wallpaper. A stenciled design. Scrapbook paper. A painted technique…The list goes on and on and on… It’s an easy way to update your tired piece.
And when you grow tired of your backing choice…take it down and start over again for a quick update.
Sometimes, without ever even painting the piece.
I mounted the wallpaper in the china cabinet above with double sided tape. So when I grow weary of it, I can pick another design, or keep the back as is. I wish I had a photo of the entire room before and after I backed that piece. I was looking for a cheap way to integrate my stained furniture with the painted. The backing certainly helped.
Fabric is another option.
This was done for Malone’s nursery and will be updated for the man cave room when I complete it. But the fabric tied the piece together with the rest of the room.
I have a friend who owns a family heirloom. She needed a shot of color behind this glorious piece.
So I convinced her to use an old feed sack. Instant update without harming a gloriously fabulous piece. (NO, not everything should be painted…)
PERFECTION.
Another piece…Lewis. When I found Lewis, he already had his creamy goodness going on. I just added the green to up the ante on his fun factor.
I had a client who wasn’t interested in painting her curio cabinet. So, in came the grasscloth wallpaper.
Instant update!
Evelyn makes her insides pop with a dark peacock blue and light aqua dry bush on top. I wanted to keep Evelyn. Alas, I am not a hoarder. (sigh)
George and Ethel are sporting our signature aqua insides…and have gone on to live in a better place. Imagine how typical they would look in all cream…cream is wonderful. Please don’t flog me… but a shot of color is always fun for pieces like this.
Emerson’s piece for her nursery, which now sits in her big gal room, was originally in Aiden’s nursery. It was all white. I’m sure by the time she’s a teenager, it will be chartreuse or something else completely outrageous on the back.
But a shot of color, can completely pull a room together. You never know what it can do, til you give it a try.
And this little rule of thumb can apply to other things, as well. check out this piece here.
Let me see what you’ve done!
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